Newcomers to FAMU face a learning curve

Photo courtesy of Daylan Richardson and FAMU Housing

Starting college can come with many emotions and thoughts, especially if it’s your first
year as a freshman or if you recently transferred.

As a freshman, you begin your journey on campus and aim to make your mark or enjoy
your next four years. As a transfer you’re jumping in to what could either be your
second or third year of college coming from a different school and trying to get
acclimated.

Since the semester is coming to an end we wanted to understand how freshmen and
transfer students fared being on the hill for the fall semester and see how their
experience has been since the start of the semester.

Daylan Richardson, a first year pre-pharmacy student from Miami, said: “My experience
as a first year coming into FAMU may have been a little challenging. Being that FAMU is
such a social environment I had to block out everything to remain focused. Although it
took a while for me to adjust to many things around campus having certain people
around me and coming out of my shell helped me get through this first semester
successfully.”

As a transfer student I know all to well how it felt to continuously feel lost, not only
walking around campus but looking at how other students were already in their friend
group and wanting to join campus organizations. Everyone says the transfer students
are like the step children on campus, and I feels that way at times but with the help of
the transfer student association it does alleviate some of the pressure.

Tatiana Albert, a physical therapy transfer student from North Miami, said: “When I
transferred this fall I took all my classes online because of all the in-person classes
being full. I felt like I was going to miss out but when I joined TSA and was added in
seemed like 20+ chats on GroupMe i was able to make some friends and the best study
partners at Coleman Library.”

The semester came with many ups and downs and returning Rattlers already knew
what to expect, but as a new Rattler, it seems like chaos when you can’t reach financial
aid, going in circles looking for parking or even trying to figure out who the infamous J-
Bird everyone is talking about on game day.

Ruth Simone a first-year criminal justice major from West Orlando, said, “The
semester started off very rocky. I was upset about the housing situation and having to
move into a motel until it was resolved didn’t make it better, but it turned around for me
when I started enjoying Set Friday, game day and going to my first homecoming event I

enjoyed it all. I would like for financial aid to get better but i was told don’t get my hopes
up.”

As the semester comes to an end all transfers and freshmen can say they survived their
first fall semester at FAMU. Many are awaiting to see what the spring semester will bring
and hope to continue to make the best of it and take what they have learned from this
year and apply to the incoming new year.